Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is preventing the sale of Israeli military platforms to Turkey, which the Defense Ministry is trying to advance as part of a bid to repair ties between Jerusalem and Ankara, defense officials said on Monday.
The officials confirmed a report first aired on Channel 2 that Lieberman and Defense Minister Ehud Barak were at odds over whether Israel should renew defense exports to Turkey, which largely came to a standstill after ties between the countries deteriorated following Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip in 2009.
In 2006, in an effort to repair ties with the United States over alleged sales to China, the Defense Ministry established a new department called the Export Licensing Authority, which is required to approve all sales overseas. The authority – known by its Hebrew acronym API – operates in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry, with which it consults on sensitive arms deals.
Until 2009, Turkey was one of Israel’s largest defense customers and has purchased in the past Israeli-made unmanned aerial vehicles, Israeli-upgraded tanks, and has had Israel modernize its aging fleet of F-4 Phantom fighter jets. Israel has also sold Turkey long-range targeting pods and additional advanced military systems.
“There is a fundamental disagreement over whether Israel should sell military platforms to Turkey or not,” one Israeli official said Monday.
The official said that the primary reason behind Barak’s support is the need to repair ties with Turkey, which has helped Israel in preventing the flotilla of ships – currently stuck in Greece – from sailing to the Gaza Strip.
Turkey is believed to be interested in a wide-range of Israeli military systems, including electronic-warfare systems, the Spike anti-tank missile manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the Barak 8 naval air-defense missile manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries. In the past, Israel has also held talks with Turkey about the possible sale of satellites and the Arrow missile defense system.
Turkey is interested in turkey. Nothing more. nothing less.
I always wondered who was so naive or greedy that he would approve selling an enemy the very means to destroy his own country of Israel. Turkey see-saws from a friendly position to the opposite posture with unpredictable irregularity. Perhaps Barak confuses today’s Turkey with the comparatively friendly Ottoman Empire, where the Jews were treated with benevolence. Erdogan’s friends are those who can be bought. Mr. Barak, someone who asks you to pay for his friendship isn’t a friend, but a practitioner of the world’s oldest profession. At your age you should be able to recognize the difference.
Forgot all about Taqiyya!
Should Israel sell armaments to Turkey it could very well find itself in a war using its arms against its arms.
Turkey has proven itself to be a fickle peace partner at best. Like a fickle lover it should be shunned.
If, in the future, by word and by deed over a substantial period of time, it can prove it has had an irrevocable change of heart things might change.
At present Turkey is to be neither trusted nor believed.
Turkey is upset over the fact that Greece took their spotlight and power in the Mediterranean. Other than killing Kurds, Turkey is not in danger of a war unless it goes to war with Syria. Liebeman is correct to hold off trade of war materials.
Lieberman is right!
Barak is dangerous idiot.
Appears more and more that Barak is a stooge for Uncle Laban. Then it’s called treason.